Nationwide Preps for Bonnie, Charley

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. reportedly has claim representatives and agents prepared to assist customers following landfall of Tropical Storm Bonnie or Hurricane Charley.

“Claims specialists will be positioned in hotels outside of the storm’s path and ready to be deployed,” Ken Enscoe, Nationwide’s director of catastrophe claims operations, said. “We are preparing so that immediately following the event we can have claims specialists in place to support policyholders.”

Call centers are prepared to receive and handle claims from customers and pallets of supplies are ready for distribution to temporary storm centers once the locations are confirmed. Policyholders with storm damage should call the Nationwide claims hotline at 1-800-421-3535 or contact their local agent.

Currently, Nationwide has suspended some new business underwriting (see listing below; additional suspensions are anticipated). Those with a pending renewal are still able to maintain coverage.

Policyholders, however, will not be able to improve upon their existing policy until the suspension has been lifted. The suspension applies to physical damage coverage for auto, homeowners, commercial and other Nationwide products (i.e., boiler & machinery coverage, inland marine, and boat coverage.)

* In Florida, Nationwide insures 301,260 homes and 304,917 vehicles. Nationwide also insures more than 44,000 homes and 84,000 vehicles in Alabama and more than 44,000 homes and 39,000 vehicles in Mississippi.

Effective immediately, all binding authority has been suspended for Nationwide and Allied property exposures (including but not limited to Nationwide Mutual, Nationwide Mutual Fire, Nationwide Insurance Company of Florida, P&C, NGI, Nationwide Agribusiness, AMCO, Depositors, Allied P&C, THI, Farmland Insurance and NW Assurance) in the following states/counties:

Alabama:

Baldwin Monroe

Florida:

Bay Gadsden Leon Wakulla

Calhoun Gulf Liberty Walton

Dixie Holmes Okaloosa Washington

Escambia Jackson Santa Rosa

Franklin Jefferson Taylor

Mississippi:

George Jackson

Hancock Pearl River

Harrison Stone

* According to A.M. Best, 2002